French food group Danone will manage its four Belgian subsidiary companies across a single country structure. Sub-brands such as Alpro will be further integrated. 120 white collar workers in Belgium face the risk of losing their jobs.
Danone’s Dairy & Water (Evian), Vegan Dairy (Alpro) and Baby Food (Nutricia) divisions now operate independently. By consolidating them under one Belgian structure, Danone can save money. The overlapping office functions in the personnel, IT, accounting and marketing departments in particular become redundant and disappear.
the essence
- Danone is restructuring in Belgium.
- 120 employees from the dairy division, water department, Alpro and Nutricia are at risk of losing their jobs.
- The company hopes to offer them a new position, thereby creating 67 jobs in Belgium.
- Especially Alpro affected. The Ghent head office loses its commercial representatives. She remains responsible for global marketing and innovation.
Danone Belgium employs approximately 1,800 people. For the 120 employees, it is uncertain whether they will continue to work for Danone Belgium after the restructuring. Although Danone wants to keep as many people on board as possible. “We are creating 67 new jobs,” says spokeswoman Anne de Geiger.
The unions and the management talk to each other, but not within the framework of Renault. This law only applies if Danone expels 30 people in 60 days. Danone takes a year and a half to operate.
Alpro
The restructuring mainly affects Alpro global head office in Ghent. There, the future of 68 out of 500 white collar workers is uncertain. Become Alpro It was acquired by Danone in 2016. Since then, the company has operated somewhat independently, although Danone representatives have taken over the marketing of Alpro products in most countries. Only in the eight major countries, Alpro sent their representatives to work.
Alpro is now losing all of its commercial functions. However, not all of the actors lost their jobs. They moved to Danone. Alpro representatives in Germany say that they are already in Germany, but they report to Ghent. They will report to Danone Germany soon, ”de Geiger says. Belgian representatives of Alpro will report soon to Danone’s Brussels office.
We create 67 new jobs. Hopefully we can give this to the 120 lost.
Decline in sales
Danone stresses that the changes only affect Belgian office workers. Nothing will change for the workers who work at the Danone plant in Rutcellar and at the Alpro plant in Wavelgam.
Danone is also developing national structures in other countries. As a result, 1,850 out of 100,000 jobs worldwide are at risk.
Danone wants to turn things around with the savings process. The company is performing poorly. In the third quarter, sales were down 3.3 percent. Under pressure from shareholders, the CEO and chairman were forced to Emmanuel Faber recently resigned.
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